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CIPEC Leadership Awards

CIPEC helps Canadian industries to reduce energy inputs, maximize profits, strengthen competitiveness and ensure a more sustainable future for Canada’s industries by investing in energy efficiency.

CIPEC’s role across all industrial sectors in Canada is to promote the adoption of energy-efficient technologies and practices and to recognize and reward those Canadian industries that lead the way in reducing energy costs and improving productivity.

The CIPEC Leadership Awards showcase the outstanding achievements of CIPEC companies that have distinguished themselves in energy efficiency, thereby increasing productivity and competitiveness.

2016 Award Recipients

New Category in 2016: CIPEC Energy Management National Award

The CIPEC National Energy Management Awardis presented to the two highest scores achieved by Canadian entrants for the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) Energy Management Leadership Award.

To qualify for a CEM Energy Management Leadership Award each applicant is required to implement an ISO 50001 or Superior Energy Performance energy management system and to submit a case study outlining the benefits achieved by their organization. A panel of judges selected by CEM’s Energy Management Working Group grades each case study and assigns a score to it.

New Gold – New Afton Mine
The New Gold case study demonstrated strong financial results on energy performance improvements and CO2 reduction. It included a video showing the effectiveness of ISO 50001 and it is an excellent tool for promoting energy management. And it effectively documented that its biggest benefit is in increased energy awareness, at all levels of the organization. This is particularly important as it is people, not systems, who manage energy.

3M Canada Company
This is a unique case study that was submitted by 3M on a corporate basis. It covers 18 3M facilities that implemented ISO 50001 in 7 countries. At 3 of these sites, Superior Energy Performance in addition to ISO 50001 was implemented. The case study demonstrates that the facilities implementing ISO 50001 have outpaced other 3M facilities providing energy efficiency improvements by a 60 percent greater margin than the average plant without such an energy management system. It also presents strong results for energy performance improvement and CO2 reduction. 3M Canada is the Canadian participant in the corporate case study.

Corporate Stewardship Award

This year the awards went to Cascades inc. and ArcelorMittal Dofasco. The award recognizes companies that promote energy efficiency at the corporate level, such as the creation and engagement of an energy management team, the development of a corporate energy management plan or policy, or the implementation of a formalized management system.

Cascades inc.
In the 1990s, Cascades inc. created an energy intervention group dedicated to reducing energy consumption. Ever since, the group has identified and implemented more than 230 projects to reduce energy costs and increase energy efficiency in all of Cascades’ plants. For example, the group has implemented energy management systems and benchmarked energy performance. Energy awareness has also spread among all levels of the company using monthly and annual energy performance reports. Moreover, the energy group has engrained a company-wide strategy of continuous improvements in energy use and management (energy kaizens). Thanks to this strategy, Cascades now uses 2.5 times less energy than the Canadian pulp and paper industry average to manufacture its products.

ArcelorMittal Dofasco
ArcelorMittal Dofasco has implemented a portfolio of energy efficiency projects that are generating significant savings. The company partnered with the Ontario Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) and leveraged its Industrial Accelerator incentive program to support capital investments. To date, ArcelorMittal Dofasco has realized energy savings of more than 125,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) annually. A few of the notable projects the company has completed thus far include the installation of a 12 megawatt (MW) by-product gas fired turbo generator, the installation of a high turbulence roll cooling system at the hot strip rolling mill, the rationalization and upgrade of a high pressure nitrogen compressor system in utilities and the process optimization of the steelmaking electric arc furnace emission control system. ArcelorMittal Dofasco is targeting an additional 290,000 MWh/yr in energy savings through the next phase of the portfolio.

Process and Technology Improvement Award

This year the award went to Barrick-Hemlo and CAE Inc. The award honours companies that reduce energy intensity in an industrial process by improving procedures and equipment.

Barrick-Hemlo
The site-wide ventilation management program at Barrick Gold’s Hemlo Mine in Ontario between 2014 and 2016 is a prime example of continuous improvement and innovation in terms of technology, people, and systems. Underground ventilation is critical for mining operation, workers’ health and safety, and has a significant impact on energy consumption and cost. At Barrick-Hemlo, ventilation accounts for the majority of electricity consumption year round, with consumption increasing in winter months to heat fresh air. In order to reduce energy demand, consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, Barrick Gold’s Hemlo Mine in Ontario developed a site-wide ventilation management program to ensure continuous improvement and spur innovation in technology, people, and systems.

The company implemented ventilation on demand (VOD) in targeted areas of the mine, and fans without VOD were managed by trained personnel. Innovative ‘ice stopes’ in old mining areas were created to supply a portion of fresh air that did not need heating in the winter, and the ice stopes would also cool air in the summer. Compared to 2014, the Hemlo Mine reduced ventilation energy consumption and GHG emissions by 10 percent and 24 percent respectively, and is also expecting combined electricity and propane savings of nearly 20 percent from its ventilation improvements.

CAE Inc.
CAE reconfigured and modernized the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems at its Ville St. Laurent, Québec facility allowing it to realize up to 31 percent in energy cost savings. This major engineering project focused on improving the overall efficiency of the HVAC systems while upgrading assets and reducing maintenance requirements. The project was carried out with an energy performance contractor (EPC), whereby the project cost, financial incentives, and annual savings are guaranteed by the EPC. During the construction phase, 149 rooftop units with DX cooling and mostly electric heating were replaced with 38 new units equipped with glycol heating and cooling coils that are served by three new central heating and cooling plants. These new central plants include high-efficiency boilers, heat-recovery chillers, and high efficiency centrifugal chillers. In addition, the control systems were optimized, upgraded, and standardized throughout the facility.

Energy Performance Management Award

This year, the award goes to Catalyst PaperCorporation – Powell River and Shell Canada Limited. The award recognizes companies that enhance their monitoring, measuring, and reporting on facility or company-wide energy consumption and improving energy performance.

Catalyst Paper – Powell River
Catalyst Paper installed a turbine generator at its paper mill in Powell River, British Columbia. The mill’s power generator G13 converts low-pressure waste steam from the mill machines into 8 megawatts of electricity. The project was developed in partnership with BC Hydro and moves the mill one step closer towards long-term sustainability. This project adds to a suite of initiatives that the company has implemented in its facilities across B.C.

Shell Canada Limited
Shell Canada Limited integrated processes of an existing upgrader and its new Quest facility. The initiative, the Demin Water Preheat Integration Project, aims to reduce the low pressure steam requirements of the Scotford Upgrader by heating demineralized water with waste-heat from the nearby Shell Quest plant. By adding this heat integration, Shell will reduce the energy consumption and carbon footprint of both facilities. In August of 2015, the Quest facility started up and decreased the low pressure steam consumption of the Upgrader by 15-25 tonnes per hour. Shell is tracking the project by using process flow and temperature data to determine steam, equivalent commodity cost, and CO2 reduction on a monthly basis. The expected reduction in the upgrader’s total energy consumption is between 370,000 and 610,000 gigajoules per year with a decrease of 20,000 to 40,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year.

Employee Awareness and Training Award

This year’s winners are Canfor Pulp and 3M Canada – Brockville. The award recognizes companies that raise employee awareness and understanding of energy efficiency, and promote best practices through knowledge exchange.

Canfor Pulp
Over the past few years, Canfor Pulp has invested significantly in energy efficiency initiatives in its four mills in northern B.C., with employee awareness being a major component. Each Canfor pulp mill has a Strategic Energy Management Program headed by an energy manager who coordinates all energy conservation measures and is supported by an energy team. Canfor has been implementing employee awareness programs that inform employees about energy issues and empower them to monitor energy consumption. Since 2009, all of Canfor’s four pulp mills have had an employee awareness program in place. At its Northwood Mill, for example, Canfor implemented an Energy Management Information System (EMIS) in 2015 that enables employees to track energy use and implement changes that optimize energy performance. Canfor involved all of its departments in the EMIS implementation and has made energy awareness part of the corporate culture. User surveys suggest that employees at all levels in the mill are increasingly considering energy. In addition to EMIS training, existing maintenance and operations staff attend training on energy efficient technology and all new employees receive energy awareness training on their first day.

3M Canada – Brockville
3M Canada’s Brockville Tape plant was one of the first Canadian facilities to be ISO 50001 certified. The success in conserving energy and reducing costs at the Brockville facility has supported energy management at other 3M Canada facilities. Central to the plant’s energy management success is the company’s engagement of its employees. Energy awareness and training is an ongoing venture. In addition, staff can submit their energy conservation ideas and observations, and receive incentives for participating. The plant engineer and energy champion vet the ideas and selected proposals are then considered by the plant’s energy team. Moreover, 3M ensures that employees are engaged in new energy projects. For example, during the combined heat and power (CHP) project at the Brockville Tape plant, employees were kept up-to-date on the project’s progress. As the CHP generates trend data, this will be displayed on the facility’s information screen along with other energy consumption data.

Integrated Energy Efficiency Strategy Award

This year, the award goes to Global Wood Concepts Ltd. and Mother Parkers Tea and Coffee. The award honours companies that improve energy efficiency at a facility or company-wide level through a range of initiatives as a result of an integrated strategy.

Global Wood Concepts Ltd.
Toronto-based Global Wood Concepts Ltd., a manufacturer of office and institutional furniture, developed and implemented an energy management system (EnMS) in accordance with the ISO 50001 standard. Even before the introduction of the formal EnMS, Global Wood Concepts had implemented numerous energy efficiency projects resulting in nearly 235,000 kilowatt-hours of energy savings for 2014–2015. The projects undertaken since the formal EnMS has been in place include the installation of in-line air reducers, LED lighting retrofits, a water heating system overhaul, and cordless tool replacement of air drills.

Mother Parkers Tea and Coffee
Ontario’s Mother Parkers Tea and Coffee, one of the largest coffee roasters in North America, has been developing an Environmental Management System based on ISO 140001 and expanding it to include energy reduction projects. As a result, the company has invested in energy-efficient equipment and cutting edge technology to reduce its energy use. State-of-the-art roaster controls and catalytic afterburners have reduced natural gas consumption by close to 1,600,000 cubic metres (m3) annually. A LED lighting retrofit has reduced electricity consumption by 39 and 15 percent in two of its facilities. Additionally, a closed loop chiller system upgrade has significantly reduced water consumption by 44,100 m3 per year.